Solutions sought for Kraemer storm protection

Published: Tuesday, September 3, 2013 at 11:09 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, September 3, 2013 at 11:09 a.m.

Just over a year ago, residents of Kraemer and Bayou Boeuf were at war with Hurricane Isaac’s waters.

Today the parish has reinforced vulnerable points in the community’s levees and is seeking money to revamp protection.

“We’ve been working day and night to keep things safe,” Scott Cortez, the Bayou Boeuf assistant fire chief, said after Isaac made its second landfall at Fourchon last year. “What you’re seeing in LaPlace? That could have been us.”

It was tense times as Isaac’s meandering path pushed and dropped massive amounts of water into the 400,000 acre basin nearby, North Lafourche Levee District Director Dwayne Bourgeois said.

“Our water table never went down. When we were supposed to have low water in the area ... our levels never went down. It stayed at a high,” Delatte said. “Our swamp is never dry now.”

Last week, Delatte said the parish replaced one of the 30-year-old pumps draining the area. The Zeller-Larousse Forced Drainage system protects 234 residents and several businesses using 33,000 feet of four-foot high levees drained by two pump stations.

The levees were initially built for drainage, not storm protection. The levees have low spots and trees growing on it have contributed to its weakening.

Bourgeois said the district would like to spend about $1.57 million to recap and reshape the levee, improve pumps and raise the levee to about six feet. Bourgeois said the final elevation is still being considered.

“We do have limited resources, that is fact, we can only do so much with what we have,” Bourgeois said.

The district has a commitment of $145,000 in the state’s capitol outlay budget, but the money isn’t immediately available. Bourgeois said the district has earmarked an additional $50,000 in its budget to begin to develop the project. The district is working to find additional money to put toward the improvements.

Voters last year rejected a proposed sales tax that would have generated money for the work. Bourgeois said there are no plans to put another tax on the ballot.

<p>Just over a year ago, residents of Kraemer and Bayou Boeuf were at war with Hurricane Isaac's waters. </p><p>Today the parish has reinforced vulnerable points in the community's levees and is seeking money to revamp protection. </p><p>“We've been working day and night to keep things safe,” Scott Cortez, the Bayou Boeuf assistant fire chief, said after Isaac made its second landfall at Fourchon last year. “What you're seeing in LaPlace? That could have been us.”</p><p>It was tense times as Isaac's meandering path pushed and dropped massive amounts of water into the 400,000 acre basin nearby, North Lafourche Levee District Director Dwayne Bourgeois said.</p><p>That basin mostly drains through nearby Bayou Des Allemands, putting north Lafourche communities in a precarious position.</p><p>In the days after the storm passed, wind blew that draining water against the levees protecting Kraemer. The storm water sporadically overtopped low spots in the levees.</p><p>Inmates, the state National Guard, Lafourche government workers and sheriff's deputies joined local volunteers in working through the night to sandbag the vulnerable points.</p><p>The area's ring levees overtopped briefly, some buildings took water, but no evacuation was called. </p><p>“It wasn't major water coming over, but if you live in the community, I can tell you seeing any water is very disconcerting,” Bourgeois said. </p><p>The erosion of southern wetlands allow storms to more easily push water into the basin, making it more difficult for the water to drain out.</p><p>Lafourche Parish Councilman Mike Delatte, who represents Kraemer, said he's noticed a concerning change in recent years. </p><p>“Our water table never went down. When we were supposed to have low water in the area ... our levels never went down. It stayed at a high,” Delatte said. “Our swamp is never dry now.”</p><p>Last week, Delatte said the parish replaced one of the 30-year-old pumps draining the area. The Zeller-Larousse Forced Drainage system protects 234 residents and several businesses using 33,000 feet of four-foot high levees drained by two pump stations.</p><p>The levees were initially built for drainage, not storm protection. The levees have low spots and trees growing on it have contributed to its weakening.</p><p>Bourgeois said the district would like to spend about $1.57 million to recap and reshape the levee, improve pumps and raise the levee to about six feet. Bourgeois said the final elevation is still being considered.</p><p>“We do have limited resources, that is fact, we can only do so much with what we have,” Bourgeois said. </p><p>The district has a commitment of $145,000 in the state's capitol outlay budget, but the money isn't immediately available. Bourgeois said the district has earmarked an additional $50,000 in its budget to begin to develop the project. The district is working to find additional money to put toward the improvements. </p><p>Voters last year rejected a proposed sales tax that would have generated money for the work. Bourgeois said there are no plans to put another tax on the ballot.</p>